Saturday, 21 June 2014

All stylish women have one thing in common- they take the trouble to figure out what works best for them and they stick to it, with a few tweaks now and then to keep things fresh.
This is even more true of makeup than clothes.

We can't speak for everyone, but we know a lot of women who wear makeup only to parties and have tons of perfectly good products lying waste in their beauty bags because they feel makeup is only for special occasions and that doing good makeup takes ages. So on most days they just don't have the time and energy to get started because they feel it's all a bit too fussy.

Then, when a party comes along they are over-excited, out of touch (that winged liner needs practice my dear) taking too long to apply everything, they tend to load on too much (where else are they going to wear that turquoise eye-shadow?) and they end up looking terribly over-done and unnatural.

We've all been there, so no judgement, but now we've learnt- that's a very wrong and counter-productive way to think about makeup. Makeup should be used everyday and there's no need to save it for a special occasion- at least a truly stylish woman wouldn't do that- and it shouldn't look "special" if you can avoid it.

What you need to do, is to master just a few techniques that can help you create a couple of chic day and night looks in under 5 minutes (Okay 10). Just use these everyday regularly, and soon you'll stop thinking that makeup is a pain and then magically, you will become a lot better at it!!

The hi-tech and multi-tasking makeup products of today take the hard-work out of make up and cut down on the time required, as well. So even if you aren't the type to spend hours in front of the mirror each morning, there's no reason for you to run out "au naturale" everyday.

When you have a party just take up the glam quotient a notch higher, for example, replace your everyday nude lipstick with a brighter/darker one, or use a more colorful shadow- that's it.

The happy side-effect of creating and perfecting your own little "quick beauty routine" is that you will be more inclined to actually use make-up more often, and of course you will feel more confident and your facebook pictures will probably look a whole lot better too!

Here are some rules to keep in mind:
>> Use the best quality products you can afford- makeup and brushes.
>>Keep a few but well selected products and throw away old makeup- do not clutter your beauty bag.
>>Figure out what colors compliment your skin tone the best- this takes time and honesty.>> If you have five minutes spend them on perfecting your skin and applying mascara!

Here are a few tutorials to get you started,once you master these- you're sorted.The first two videos are for natural day looks and the 3rd and 4th are for amping things up a little for the evening!

Lisa's channel is very good for both basics and advanced makeup looks.
Take a look at her makeup basics tutorials to ensure your basic moves are mastered!We are sharing some links to some other good channels too (at the end of the post) where you can find more tutorials to create looks for all occasions.

Write to us in the comments section below and tell us what you think, also share your favorite go-to makeup looks, products or techniques that instantly make you feel good and maybe share your favorite makeup tutorials as well.

Friday, 13 June 2014

The first book I would say you need to get - Parisian Chic
by by Ines de la Fressange with Sophie Gachet.

Inès de la Fressange started as a runway model, became the face of Chanel, and launched a clothing line; she is the essence of Parisian style and elegance. Her drawings have regularly appeared in Elle. She is creative consultant for Roger Vivier shoes and is designing the interior of a new Parisian hotel. Sophie Gachet is a fashion journalist for Elle in Paris.

No doubt Ines has all the right credentials, not just on paper but in actual life.
She's really a stylish woman, she been in the fashion business for decades, she looks amazing, as does her daughter and she's fun!

Best of all the book looks superbly chic both outside and inside.

Here is a little video introduction to the book.

So do let us know if you plan to read it, or if you've already read the book and what you think of it.
Also let us know which books you've found to be especially useful in developing your own
unique sense of style - your fashion bible/s.

We will be trying to cover some of the more widely acclaimed ones in a series of posts like this one.

NOTES-
The book is available on both Flipkart.com and Amazon.in

We like the book, but we would say you read through some customer reviews and take for a test ride at your local library ( you are not very likely to find it in many Indian libraries, my local Just Books branch doesn't have it),and then if you find it has timeless appeal and tips you find inspiring-buy it !

Friday, 6 June 2014

What it is- Generally speaking, clothing which was produced before the 1920s is referred to as antique clothing and clothing from the 1920s to 20 years before the present day is considered vintage.Most vintage clothing has been previously worn, but a small percentage of pieces have not. These are often old warehouse stock, and more valuable than those that have been worn, especially if they have their original tags.
(Source- Wikipedia)
And while we are at it, it might make sense to explain what it isn't!
Vintage is not the same as retro, pre-owned/consignment or thrifting.
The difference between Vintage and Retro clothing: Retro, short for retrospective, or "vintage style" usually refers to clothing that imitates the style of a previous era and doesn't actually belong to it!
Now, we already told you Vintage could be pre-owned/consignment and vice-versa, but Vintage always belongs to a certain fashion-era.
Thrift- you could find vintage items in a thrift store, or thrift at a vintage store, but thrifting essentially refers to bargain hunting.

Why?: It's obvious isn't it? Most genuinely stylish women hate to look like everyone else, even if they are wearing a $3K top, so they seek out unique cuts and styles from a certain era and mix it up with their modern buys to create unique looks.So- the answer is "for the uniqueness factor".
It's also a way to show off your knowledge of fashion history, your eclectic and irreverent taste and your
" sharp eye" for classic Chanel,Givenchy and Dior.

Where do they get Vintage?: It's true that celebrities can afford extremely knowledgeable and connected stylists who are always on the hunt for them, across a network of Online and Offline vintage boutiques spread around US and Europe, but online Vintage is accessible to all.

Here is a list of some the top online Vintage destinations (to suit all pockets ) that style gurus swear by, but unfortunately they aren't in India yet!!
Maybe the market needs to mature a little, after all we still have plenty of people who turn up their noses at Vintage and think it's just a euphemism for old and cheap...
:-(
But fret not, some of them do ship to India, in case you are really desperate!

Etsy Shop- TanakaVintage : http://www.etsy.com/in-en/shop/TanakaVintage
Same here- More Retro and Vintage inspired than vintage, but again that may not be the case and it might just be that these are relatively less known brands of clothing.

So, here's hoping that some really good online vintage boutiques make an appearance in India!

A few more resources to discover some great vintage stores (online and brick & mortar) are shared below, hope you enjoy them. Don't forget to check out http://colletteconsignment.com/ though they don't sell online their merchandise is simple amazing.